Air spinning machines with corresponding spinning units are known in the state of the art, and serve the purpose of producing a yarn from an elongated fiber composite. At this, the outer fibers of the fiber composite are, with the assistance of a vortex air flow generated by the air nozzles within the vortex chamber in the area of the inlet mouth of the yarn formation element, wound around the internal core fibers, and ultimately form the winding fibers that determine the desired strength of the yarn. This creates a yarn with a genuine twist, which may be ultimately led away through a draw-off channel from the vortex chamber, and wound up, for example, on a tube.
In general, within the meaning of the invention, the term “yarn” is understood to be a fiber composite, for which at least a part of the fibers is wound around an internal core. Thus, this comprises a yarn in the conventional sense, which may be processed into a fabric, for example with the assistance of a weaving machine. However, the invention also relates to air spinning machines, with the assistance of which so-called “roving” (another name: coarse roving) may be produced. This type of yarn is characterized by the fact that, despite a certain strength, which is sufficient to transport the yarn to a subsequent textile machine, it is still capable of drafting. Thus, the roving may be drafted with the assistance of a drafting device, for example the drafting unit, of a textile machine processing the roving, for example a ring spinning machine, before it is ultimately spun.
In the processing of synthetic fibers, such as polyester, or mixtures of natural and synthetic fibers, deposits arise, in particular on the surface of the yarn formation element. The reason for this is the fact that the production of synthetic fibers comprises a so-called “preparation of continuous fibers” during the production process. Preparation agents, usually an oil with various additives, are applied at the continuous fibers; this enables a treatment such as, for example, drafting the continuous fibers at high speeds. Such preparation agents sometimes adhere to the synthetic fibers even during the further treatment, and lead to impurities in the air spinning machine.
Typically, a fiber guide element is arranged in the entrance area of the spinning nozzle; through this, the fiber composite is led into the spinning nozzle and finally into the area of the yarn formation element. As yarn formation elements, the majority of spindles are used with an internal draw-off channel. At the top of the yarn formation element, compressed air is introduced through the housing wall of the spinning nozzle in such a manner that the specified rotating vortex air flow arises. As a result, individual external fibers are separated from the fiber composite leaving the fiber guide element and are turned over the top of the yarn formation element. In the further process, these removed fibers rotate on the surface of the yarn formation element. Following this, through the forward movement of the internal core fibers of the fiber composite, the rotating fibers are wound around the core fibers and thereby form the yarn.
However, through the movement of the individual fibers over the surface of the yarn formation element, deposits also form on the yarn formation element because of adhesions on the fibers from the production process. For the same reasons, deposits may also occur on the surface of the interior of the spinning nozzle or the fiber guide element. Such adhesions lead to deterioration of the surface condition of the yarn formation element, and cause a deterioration in the quality of the yarn produced. Therefore, regular cleaning of the affected surfaces is necessary in order to maintain the consistent quality of the spun yarns.
The surfaces of the yarn formation element, the interior of the spinning nozzle, and the fiber guide element may be cleaned manually through a periodic disassembly of the yarn formation element, but this leads to a substantial maintenance effort, coupled with a corresponding interruption in operations.
By contrast, EP 2 450 478 discloses a device that enables an automatic cleaning without stopping the machine. For this purpose, an additive is mixed with the compressed air used for the formation of vortex air flow within the spinning nozzle. The additive is guided through the compressed air on the yarn formation element, and results in the cleaning of the surface of the yarn formation element.
JP-2008-095-208 discloses an additional version for cleaning of the yarn formation element. An additive is also fed to the compressed air used for the swirling in the spinning nozzle, and with such compressed air, is led into the spinning nozzle, and thus to the yarn formation element. In the disclosed version, the dosage and the addition of the additive is separately provided for each spinning unit.
In addition, feeding the additive to the fiber composite, in order to improve the properties of the yarn produced from it, with regard to (for example) its hairiness, strength, elongation and yarn uniformity, is known, whereas the dosage should be very precisely adjustable, in order to prevent more than or less than the indicated target additive quantity from being applied to the individual sections of the fiber composite.
In particular, in practice—regardless of the particular purpose of the addition of the additive—the specified dosage is not always without problems, since the additive is fed to the respective spinning unit with very small volume flows or mass flows, as the case may be.